A Bountiful man bitten by a rattlesnake has been recovering at a hospital here after receiving doses of antivenin transported relay-style by Utah Highway Patrol troopers from Provo to Brigham City.
A nursing supervisor at St. Benedict's Hospital said Monday Carlos Trujillo, 33, was in stable condition and has been released from the intensive care unit.Authorities said Trujillo was bitten by a rattlesnake around 4 p.m. Friday in Morgan County, where he and his wife were fishing.
"Apparently, he drew his hand back to cast the line and the snake must have been coiled and ready to strike," said UHP Trooper Alan Rogers.
Getting vials of antivenin to St. Benedict's involved several UHP troopers along the Wasatch Front.
"It's my understanding each hospital only has enough (antivenin) for initial treatment so they can get the patient over the first hurdle," Rogers said. "The antivenin is so expensive, they don't keep a large stock on hand."
The highway patrol's shuttle service is like a relay race or Pony Express run.